Knicks head coach Mike Brown said recently that he believes that OG Anunoby deserves to be named to the First Team All-Defense this season, but there are still hurdles for the 6’8″ wing to clear before he’s even in consideration, Kristian Winfield writes for the New York Daily News. Because the 65-game rule stipulates a 20-minute minimum, Anunoby finds himself one game away from the qualifying mark with four games to go.
Anunoby missed out on All-Defensive honors last season despite playing a career-high 74 games, but the Knicks have an improved defense in 2025/26, ranking eighth in the league in defensive rating compared to 13th last season.
“[OG’s] versatility is off the charts, and you can do a lot of things with your defense because of him,” Brown said. “And he deserves First Team All-Defense this year, and hopefully the powers that be will see it that way, too. Sorry about that to all the kids out there, but it is [bulls–t].”
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- Miles McBride is trying to get up to speed as quickly as possible following a 28-game absence due to a sports hernia surgery. The road back from his first major injury has been a tough one, writes Jared Schwartz of the New York Post. “Everything, honestly,” McBride said when asked what the hardest part of his return has been. “It’s a tough thing to be out so long, having a surgery in the middle of the season… It’s like someone stabbing your groin, hip and ab at the same time. It’s not fun. But I’ll get back right.”
- Monday marks a month since New York has beaten a team with a record over .500, Schwartz writes. With the playoffs fast approaching, the Knicks need to buck this trend and find ways to carve out wins against good teams. They face the Hawks, Celtics, Raptors, and Hornets in the season’s final weeks, which should represent a good test as they head into the postseason. “Obviously this is a good little stretch to end the season to make sure we’re as sharp as we can be going into the playoffs,” Josh Hart said. “The past is the past, nothing you can do about it now. Our focus is on tomorrow being 1-0 against playoff teams, and then we move on to the next one.”
- The 17 minutes that Jeremy Sochan played on Friday against the Bulls represented his biggest single-game total since he joined the Knicks in February, Schwartz writes within a piece on the team’s potential playoff rotation. “Jeremy hadn’t played in a while, especially when it comes to playing with the first or second unit,” Brown said. “We threw him out there and he was fantastic. He was fantastic defensively, it’s why he was the defensive player of the game, but he also was really good offensively. We just looked fast.” Brown went on to explain that he liked what he saw from Sochan as a small-ball center. “I wanted to play him at some backup five, that’s basically what he played for us tonight,” he said. “It allowed us to do a lot of things, like switch pick-and-rolls and stuff like that. It brought a different element to our game. Not just offensively with the speed, but even defensively with the flexibility of switching a lot of things, just keeping the ball in front of us.”
All the top teams this year. Have looked normal at times. They all have bad losses and games. Only the Thunder have been the most consistent thru out the year. And Spurs own them. And Knicks own the Spurs.
All about who is locked in for playoffs. And can be consistent for the three rds it will take to get to Finals.
For Knicks their bench is better. And yet must show up. Towns and Bridges have to be consistent. To take the pressure off Brunson. No more excuses. All about the matchups and winning a series. Imo three teams can come out of East. And in the West I also see three teams that come out. Spurs and Pistons are the young guns. Seven gm series is not the regular season. For Knicks to win . They need everyone to play well. 10 thru 12. And coach Brown to step it up. And play his bench. It’s a new season now.
Beating the Spurs 2 out 3 isn’t exactly owning them, especially when the last one was the final game of a seven game roadtrip. I’m a Knick fan but when it comes to championship contenders they are not in the conversation.
Agreed, and I’m a Knicks fan as well. They just haven’t shown me enough against the top 6-8 teams in the league to believe that they could win a best of 7 in the 2nd/3rd round, much less the Finals.
Well either you don’t know what to watch. Or you just can’t see it. Even in their two losses to Thunder. They have shown they have the talent to win it. As bad as Knicks can look. They can look that much better. They need a full team for results. And they are full for the playoffs.
When you win a series you own it. You ashamed of winning. Doesn’t mean you are a better team. It’s competition. It shows the Winning team is talented.
March 1, 2926 — Knicks 114- Spurs 89.
December 31, 2025 — Spurs 134 – Knicks 132.
December 16, 2025 — Emirates NBA Cup Knicks 124 over Spurs 113 in Vegas.
You can’t be a Knick fan if you believe that. Who in the East is that much better.
Even odds makers tell you to believe lol
Thunder are favorites to win ….. then its
Spurs, Celtics, Nuggets, Cavs, Knicks.
Knicks own the Spurs, after Thursday the Celtics, own the Nuggets, own the Cavs. Only the Thunder own Knicks two close wins. Time for excuses are over. All about winning in playoffs now.
So again YOU can NOT be a true Knicks fan. If you don’t think we can win the East. Knicjs still have room for improvement. And its comingnin the playoffs.
Spurs loss to the Nuggets is going to be very costly as now they will probably face them in the second round instead of the depleted Lakers/6th seed. OKC seems to be cruising to the first back-to-back championship since the Warriors. How awful.
It’s really too bad that only one of the Spurs and Nuggets will face OKC, and whichever team survives will be somewhat worn out, while OKC wins their 2nd rd in 5 or 6 games.
OKC can be beaten, but if it comes down to officiating and/or opponents’ injuries like last season they probably will repeat.
Oh no ….. gee wiz …..
That’s why you win top seed lol. That’s what the season is for. Thats what seeding is.
The Knicks are the 3 seed now, with their last 4 games all vs winning teams, starting in Atlanta tonight and then hosting the Celtics, Raptors on the B2B, and Hornets. What’s your prediction – can they hold off the Cavs and keep the 3 seed?
(Cavs’ schedule is easier, @ Grizzlies, vs Hawks, @ Hawks, and vs Wizards, with no B2Bs).
Knicks have statement gms left. Celtics and Hornets have to be wins. Not worried about other two. Like to see them go 4-0. I only play one gm at a time. Gotta win tonight. Still believe Cavs are biggest threat.
Excellent win over the Hawks, OG was clutch from three, Towns had a great game and the Knicks’ defense caused enough turnovers to be +6 in pts off TOs.
The Knicks shot 50% and won the points in the paint, and the refs were unusually minimal in impact.
Hawks are dangerous, so dropping to the 4 seed and having to play them in the 1st rd wouldn’t be good. Much better matchup with the Raptors.
Agree much better with Raptors. I also think Sixers are dangerous in 1st rd. Another way to look at it. Is you get tough comp early. Then you should be primed for a run in playoffs. I want this Celtics game lol.
Yeay Towns can play. We just need that consistency. His biggest drama. Is when he is not scoring. He tends to lose focus. Instead of doing other things to impact winning. Why I say he is mentally weak. Brown has to stay on top of that. Towns is not scoring. He should go for 20 rebs. Just win the game.
Knick peaked in Feb last year – made no additions at the trade deadline – and were about to make the Finals before they broke down with injuries against Indiana.
I think that the Knicks players are looking to flip the switch in the playoffs, versus hitting a wall like last year.
That being said, anything short of making ECF and Knicks roster changes will be coming over the summer.